Fleet Management PlanUPPS No. 05.05.03
Issue No. 4
Effective Date: 10/26/2016
Next Review Date: 06/01/2020 (E4Y)
Sr. Reviewer: Director, Facilities
Management
01.POLICY STATEMENT
01.01This policy establishes guidelines for university fleet vehicle acquisition, use, and maintenance as required by the State Vehicle Fleet Management Plan (SVFMP) administered by the State Office of Vehicle Fleet Management (SOVFM).
02.DEFINITIONS
02.01University Fleet – All university-owned vehicles or trailers used by its faculty, staff, and students. This includes vehicles maintained with state appropriated funds, regardless of origin of purchase funds or ownership.
02.02Rental Vehicle – A vehicle rented daily or leased long-term from a commercial entity.
02.03Fleet Manager – The director of Facilities Management in Facilities will serve as the university's designated fleet manager.
02.04Vehicle – Any conveyance that can be legally operated and licensed for use on roads in the state of Texas.
03.RELATED POLICIES
03.01Related policy statements pertaining to the procurement, use, and maintenance of university vehicles include:
a.UPPS No. 05.02.02, Texas State Purchasing Policy;
b.UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection (establishes eligibility of employees to drive state-owned university vehicles); and
c.FSS/PPS 05.02, Driving Safety Policy.
04.UNIVERSITY FLEET MANAGEMENT POLICIES
04.01Policy Application
a.The State Vehicle FleetManagement Plan states the following:
For institutions of higher education, the determination of fleet size (see Section 04.02 below), disposal of excess vehicles (see Section 06.03 below), minimum use criteria (see Section 04.04 below), and the state fleet consolidation requirement (see Section 04.04 below) apply only to vehicles purchased with appropriated funds.
b.All other sections of this policy apply to all university fleet vehicles.
04.02Fleet Cap – The university will add new vehicles only to meet legislative mandates, federal program initiatives, and documented need resulting from program growth or changes and will abide by all other SOVFM rules and restrictions regarding fleet size and purchasing. Departments requesting increases in the university fleet cap should submit requests and supporting documentation through their vice president prior to forwarding to the fleet manager.
04.03Vehicle Acquisition Decisions – To reduce the total cost of fleet operations by making informed vehicle acquisition decisions:
a.departments should use commercial leases to acquire rental vehicles rather than maintain a fleet for departmental use, where cost-effective;
b.employees should use purchase orders or a state-issued (travel) credit card to rent vehicles. If using a different payment method, the university’s insurance will not cover the employee who must pay for the rental car insurance directly, and may not receive reimbursement; and
c.departments may purchase vehicles following procedures outlined in Section 06.02 if commercial lease is not cost effective.
04.04Fleet Consolidation – The university will conform to the state-mandated fleet consolidation policy and fleet minimum use criteria where appropriate for vehicle use activity. The fleet manager will file applicable written justification for vehicles not meeting the following minimum criteria:
- 2,500 miles every 3 months
- 10,000 miles annually
Fleet consolidation policy for vehicles with a manufacturer's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of less than 8600 pounds:
a.The fleet manager will document vehicles falling below the state minimum mileage and prepare the required information, in consultation with the department head assigned the vehicle, for reporting to the SOVFM.
b.Assigning a vehicle to an individual administrative head on a regular or daily basis requires submission of written justification to the fleet manager and approval of the president. The fleet manager reports approvals to the SOVFM annually.
c.The department will pool all vehicles not assigned to staff employees requiring regular daily use of vehicles for their duties, for use by all employees in that department.
d.The fleet manager requires documentation of all pooled vehicles.
e.Departments will forward the names of all employees assigned to vehicles for daily use to the fleet manager.
04.05Vehicle Replacement Schedule – The following table details the replacement goals for each type of vehicle. Vehicles may be replaced if either their age or mileage replacement goal is surpassed and funding is available to purchase or lease the vehicle replacement.
Replacement GoalsVehicle Type / Purpose / Age / Mileage
Sedans, SUVs and Wagons / Staff or Client Transport / 9 Years / 100,000
Cargo Vehicle and Light Trucks / Cargo Hauling or Light Hauling / 10 Years / 110,000
Specialized equipment, such as heavy highway construction equipment or vehicles rated at over 8600 pounds GVWR, do not fall under any of the above categories. Other criteria, such as hours in service or age, may make such equipment eligible for replacement.
05.FLEET MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES
05.01Fleet Manager – The fleet manager may curtail department or individual use for vehicle misuse or for failure to comply with any of the requirements of this policy. The fleet manager will:
a.review and approve vehicle purchasing decisions;
b.review and approve vehicle replacement decisions;
c.review and approve maintenance decisions;
d.review and approve repair decisions;
e.review and approve vehicle assignment to and within university departments;
f.review and approve vehicle disposal decisions;
g.manage university vehicle fuel contracts to ensure utilization of state contracts for designated purposes and fleet fueling card acquisition and management;
h.control university fuel purchase, restricting all vehicles to regular unleaded fuel only, E-85 (ethanol), diesel, propane, compressed natural gas or other approved alternate fuel;
i.review reported inappropriate state vehicle use and inform the accused department of such reports;
j.obtain fleet insurance cards and provide fleet insurance policy cards for all vehicles;
k.report vehicle accidents to Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management office and disburse insurance proceeds for vehicle repairs;
l.jointly receive vehicles with Materials Management and verify that vehicles are exactly as ordered;
m. submit fleet reports to the SOVFM as required; and
n.obtain and retain state vehicle and trailer titles and license plates.
05.02Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management office:
a.monitors the fleet insurance contract and purchases insurance for all university vehicles; and
b.reports accidents to the fleet insurance carrier.
05.03Materials Management – Jointly receives vehicles with Facilities Management Procurement staff. Requests insurance from the above offices upon delivery of vehicles purchased.
05.04Account managers and department heads must:
a.follow all policies and procedures outlined in this document;
b.review every driver's Department of Public Safety (DPS) driving record annually (UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection);
c.submit requests on the form available from the fleet manager for new driver approval within two weeks of hire or 30 days prior to operating a vehicle (UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection);
d.ensure that staff assigned vehicles provide the fleet manager monthly mileage logs and receipts by the fifteenth of each month;
e.ensure that staff assigned vehicles, or their designee, deliver all vehicles, on the date assigned, for preventive maintenance to the Facilities garage or notify the garage (512.245.2831) and make arrangements for delivery on an alternative date;
f.ensure that all vehicle accidents are promptly reported to the fleet manager as prescribed in FSS/PPS 05.02, Driving Safety Policy;
g.report to the fleet manager vehicles assigned to individual drivers and document vehicles pooled by the department prior to September 30 of each fiscal year; and
h.retain gas receipts and vehicle use reports in accordance with Records
Retention Rule FCL840.
05.05Vehicle drivers and vehicle custodians must:
a.follow the requirements for vehicle inspections as prescribed in FSS/PPS 05.02, Driving Safety Policy;
b.maintain the vehicle logbook and submit the mileage report to the account manager monthly;
c.load passengers and materials in a secure manner and ensure the vehicle is not loaded above vehicle capacity;
d.use regular fuel, unless otherwise instructed by the fleet manager;
e.report any traffic citations received in a university vehicle to the fleet manager; and
f.report every accident in which they are involved when driving a university vehicle as prescribed in FSS/PPS 05.02, Driving Safety Policy. The fleet manager should receive accident reports immediately after all accidents.
06.UNIVERSITY FLEET MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES
06.01Authorized Use of a University Vehicle – The following items regulate and limit the use of university vehicles:
a.University Employees – Any university employee may use a university vehicle provided they qualify under UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection.
b.Students – All university work program students may drive a university vehicle if they qualify under UPPS No. 05.05.02, Driver Selection. Students not employed by the university must file an Automobile Use Release and Indemnity Agreement with their account manager prior to driving a university vehicle.
c.Individuals may use university vehicles for official university business only and drivers must comply with Texas Government Code §2203.001 (e):
A person commits an offense if the person does not file a report [mileage log filed monthly with the account manager, per Section 05.05] as required by this section on or before the tenth day after the date on which the person uses the vehicle. An offense under this subsection is punishable by a fine of not less than $5 nor more than $100 dollars.
d.Individuals may not use university vehicles for travel outside the continental boundaries of the United States without prior approval of the fleet manager. Such travel requires special insurance and documentation. Account managers must contact the fleet manager three weeks prior to the departure date to obtain the required documentation.
e.Employees may not use university vehicles for transportation to and from their home or to lunch.
06.02Acquisition and Receipt of Vehicles and Trailers
a.Departments seeking to order vehicles and trailers must submit the written justification for the purchase, including a cost-benefit analysis comparing purchase to leasing or spot rental of a vehicle, the name of the person assigned the vehicle and an estimate of the annual mileage to the fleet manager. Departments should use the Request for New Vehicle form. The fleet manager will process all approved requests and obtain purchase price or bids prior to issuing the approval of the acquisition. Facilities Management Procurement section buyers will process all vehicle purchases; requests for departments to procure vehicles themselves must be approved by the fleet manager.
1)The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has levied alternate fuel requirements for state agencies with fleets of 20 or more vehicles, requiring that alternate fuel capable vehicles make up 75 percent of general purpose vehicles (those under 8600 pounds GVWR) purchased in any given model year. The DoE also mandated that the alternate fuel be used if it is available. Texas State uses E-85, compressed natural gas, electricity or propane. The fleet manager will determine the distribution of non-alternative fuel vehicle quotas for the university.Any change to the fuel type during the vehicle procurement process must be approved by the fleet manager prior to issuance of a purchase order.
2)All university-owned trailers will have titles and license plates issued. All state exempt licenses and titles will be secured by the fleet manager. Original titles will be retained by the fleet manager.
b.All purchase orders for vehicles must include the following statement: "Ship to Facilities Garage." The Materials Management department at the Central Warehouse and Facilities Management will jointly receive new vehicles and hold them until the fleet manager processes the title and the Environmental Health, Safety & Risk Management office obtains insurance. Facilities Management Garage staff will decal, number, and inspect vehicles prior to sending them to departments.
06.03Vehicle Disposal – UPPS No. 05.01.02, University Surplus Property (Equipment and Consumable Supplies) states the manner in which to dispose of vehicles. Facilities will prepare vehicles to ensure the maximum sale price.
06.04Vehicle Maintenance
a.The fleet manager must service all vehicles unless alternative service methods are approved in writing: 1) the fleet manager provides service to all Education and General (E&G) funded Facilities’ sections and to Materials Management at no cost; and 2) the fleet manager will charge all other departments for service, maintenance, and repairs.
b.All university departments, including those approved to service vehicles at alternative locations, and personnel assigned fleet vehicles must report all vehicle-related activities monthly.
c.The fleet manager will maintain a preventive maintenance schedule for all vehicles serviced through the Facilities' fleet maintenance shop and will provide scheduled services to those vehicles.
d.The fleet manager will maintain warranty information on all vehicles and coordinate all warranty service required during the life of each vehicle warranty. Departments will inform the fleet manager of needed service during the warranty period.
e.The fleet manager will maintain usage and maintenance records on all vehicles owned by the university and report this information to the SOVFM as prescribed in the SVFMP.
07.REVIEWERS OF THIS UPPS
07.01Reviewers of this UPPS include the following:
PositionDate
Director, Facilities ManagementJune 1 E4Y
Director, Procurement andJune 1 E4Y
Strategic Sourcing
Director, Environmental Health,June 1 E4Y
Safety Risk Management
08.CERTIFICATION STATEMENT
This UPPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.
Director, Facilities Management; senior reviewer of this UPPS
Associate Vice President for Facilities
Vice President for Finance and Support Services
President